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Indiana farmer, 1874, v. 09, no. 42 (Oct. 24)

Page 1

<y
Yol. IX.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, OCTOBER 24, 1874.
No. 42.
LiYG Stock*
Hog Cholera Symptoms.
1. A hacking cough when they get out
of their pens in the morning.
2. Tbe excrement pass in hard lumps.
3. The urine is scant and has a yellow
or red color.
As these symptoms advance, one or more'
ofthe following appear; sick stomach, vomiting, diarrhoea, flux, extreme constipation, with high fever and great thirst,
redness of the skin ifthehog is white
(this cannot be so readily seen in colored
nogs), rough hair, lameness, stiffness of
the limbs, boils or abcesses, sometimes on
the body, but most common the feet or
legs, breathing short, and quick cough or
wheezing, thumps, swelled ears, bleeding
at the nose, sore eyes, get shy, stand with
the nose to the ground, ears fallen back,
hind feet drawn under, back curved up,
weak staggering gait, frothing at the nose
or mouth, refusal of food, indisposition to
move. No one hog presents all of the
above symptoms, but they are all common
features in hogs having the cholera, and
at times one hog presents several of them
at the same time.
Quality in Pork.
We all know what a difference there is
in pork. Breed has something to do in
this matter, but not so much as many suppose. It is the kind of feed that makes
kind in pork. Use milk or whey largely
and your pork is sure to be soft, flabby
and will fry away at least half. What is.
left is not relishable. Hence our dairy
pork is our poorest pork, varying according to the amount of grain that is fed. So
still-fed pork is in bad repute. M,iscel-
laneous feed makes ordinary pork, often
quite ordinary. Slop will not do, there
seems to be too much water.'"" '"''
The grains are what is wanted to make
good, sweet pork—pork that is solid and
will fry well. Rank pork is unendurable,
and yet there is much of it, and some
people like it, like the pork from large,
strong hogs.
A dirty, offensive sty is an element no
doubt in producing strong and even ftetid
pork.
Have clean quarters, a clean animal,
good ventilation and feed grain. For
drink give cold, not in any way foul water.
Corn for feed is the best, and old corn at
that. Do not house too close, hor feed
too sharp; look to the convenience of the
hog; and fat him so that he is good condition, not over fat, with possible diseased
parts about him in consequence, the pork
being by it.
Old corn submitted to heat will yield
most pork.— Gountry Gentleman.
1 mt . .
Care oi Sheep.
"Flock Master," of Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, writes to the Germantown
Telegraph as follows: I send you the following seasonable hints in regard to the
care of sheep: ■ During the winter and
early spring, sheep arp often affected with
colds; these, if neglected, frequently become so deeply seated as to be incurable,
and end in phthisic or consumption. The
best remedy for a cold^is, first, place your
sheep in a well ventilated, dry stable, comfortably littered; and second, give it any
slightly purging medicine, with a moderate
allowance ot hav, and a bran mash, one-
fifth which should be oil-meal. Colds
and catarrhs are not only epidemic, but
endemic; be careful therefore, where you
winter your sheep, that there be no predisposing cause in their locality; and when
they are attacked, remove them instantly
from the flock. By following these precautions, and keeping them well fed, sheltered, aired, watered, and salted, one
may bid defiance to disease among his
flock.
« m •
Tlie Iowa Cattle Disease.
Farmers, Breed Heavier Horses—
The Normans.
There is no branch of stock breeding
in the west so neglected by farmers as that
of horses, while it should be the most
profitable the most interesting and the
most important to breed. The best class
of these noble animals the masses of farmers pay no attention to how: they breed,
only to the cheapest, and consequently to
the poorest horses to be found. While
none of these farmers would think of
raising scrub hogs, because it won't pay.
It is just so with horses. It does not pay
to raise these small, scrub horses, either
f>,r the farm or to sell, for the large horse
is as easily raised and will do mueh more
work in hauling heavier loads and ploughing deeper, and if you have a surplus
horse to sell there is a good demand for it
at a good price. Not so with small scrub
horses; There is no demand for them at
any price. Now, there must be improvements in breeding our horses as- in all
our other farm stock by the use of pure
blood.
The introduction into the west of the
Norman or the Percheron horses marks
an era of prosperity and is an improvement in the right direction. These valuable horses crossed with our best native
mares gives us fine heavy horses, valuable
for the farm and in great demand for draft
horses in the cities, always commanding a
high price, such a price as pays well for
raising them, while the great quantity of
small horses on the market are forced off
at prices that do not pay for raising them.
Western farmers raise good horses or
none at all.— Western Agriculturist.
"Cross Jersey Bulls.'
For the Indiana Farmer.
Preparations for Winter.
BY MR?. WARREN.
One feels in thejmoodfor self-gratula-
tion when everything is at last prepared
for cold weather, Vegetables, plants, etc.,
all in snug winter quarters—at least I do.
We have an excellent cellar, dry, light
and perfectly frost-Woof, and this fall in
my zeal to save all
I was just taking
article, when pater
my favorites, possible,
down the fifty-ninth
familias mildly inti
mated that I had at propriated at least the
lion's share ofthe cellar room. I looked
around, and could but admit that it was
even so. But what can be done?
Nothing this year), of course, and the
only remedy for andther seems to be, a pit.
Several of my acquaintances have them
and I think they (are admirable for all
plants that are not exceedingly tender,
but as usually made there is this objection, if there comesj several weeks in succession of extremely cold weather, as in
the winter of '72 a,nd '73, one cannot go
into it without endingering the contents.
I have been thinking I would like one
on tho south side lof the house, making
the cellar wall the north side of the pit,
and then have an entrance from the cellar,
and then it could be attended to, at any
time. Have any readers of the Farmer
ever tried this plan? If so, will they not
tell us of its disadvantages, if it has any?
The Farming That Pays.
upon
The Wheat Crop.
A writer in the Dutchess Farme
the above topic, remarks:
The profit in agriculture, like the profit in other business, depends on what they
call in Wall street a "margin," and a very
small one it 13 in farming, as in all safe
and well-established industries. When
we sold wool to the Bunnels. many years
ago, one of the firm told us that they had
been making cloth without profit, and
when they found a waste of about a cent
pound on their wool, and managed toavoid
that waste, their business again became
successful. A quarter of one per cent,
received by a broker, in a large financial
transaction, has made him a large fortune.
And though in the limited transactions, of
the manufacturer and farmer, so small a
per centage would not avail much, it is
certain that the fortune of the farmer, no
less than of the merchant and manufacturer, is made'up of the small net profits of
his business, accumulated by many years
of labor and carefulness. This net profit
is so small that it is liable to be impaired
by any trifling error in management, or
lack of force. Any serious defect in
management, or any great degree of slackness will spoil the profit altogether.
There are so many things to be well done
in order to succeed, that it is not strange
that so many fail. When every part of
farming is well done, there is no mistake
about the profit.
A New Binding; Reaper.
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
Partial Abstract of the Report of
the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1873-4.
From the advance sheets of the biennial
report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction we take the following historical
items, showing the progress and prosperity of free schools in this State are taken.
_ The school fund has become very much
simplified within the past fevf years, and
may be classed under two heads :
First—The Township school fund Sti,.113,447 57
Second—The Congressional Township ps-*»<-
Fund 2,398 072 03
Total school fund -. 88,711,519 CO
The fund at the beginning of the year, together
with the increase during the past year, ls concisely exhibited In the following statement:
COMMON SCHOOL FUND, 1874.
Non-negotiable bonds £3,001,78.1 21
Common school fund June, 1873 2 Ml 2(i7 12
Fines of Clerks of the courts ' '3.1,2 n 82
Flnesof Justices of the Peace 28,843 Kit
Fines from other sources 3'luo 53
Total common school fund ?6,313,4t7 57
CONGRESSIONAL SCHOOL FUND.
Amount June, 1873 $2,289,183 7(i
Amount received from sale of lands... 0,091 87
Add 13,153 acres unsold land worth 102,293 41)
Total 52,398 072 03
ADDITIONS TO THE Kl'SU, 1S73.
To the common school fund :
Sinking Fund distributed S50,140 09
Fines by Clerks of courts 23,083 16
Fines by Justices of the Peace 19,188 15
From other sources 2 153 20
Tptal increase in Common School
Fund in 1873 H01.764 90
To the Congressional Fund :
From the sale of lands 19,316 15
Total increase ,
Deduct .Sinking fund distribution..
Si 21,080 a5
5f>',li0 09
;,F.rank.Morris,.of.the.PraeiicaZ Farmer,
says: "While the Alderney or Jersey
calf, heifer, or grown-up cow is proverbially the quietest, most docile and gentle
of all the cow tribe, there are very many
cases where the Jersey bulls are exactly
the reverse. Can this be explained? It
may almost be said cross Jersey bulls are
the rule, and quiet ones the exception.—
We have known, ourselves, many cases of
this kind, and have been asked the reason
"why Jersey bulls are generally more unruly than bulls of other breeds?" Then
he quotes the English Agricaltural Gazette, in reference to this matter, as follows: "It is strange so many of the Jersey bulls should be such ungovernable
and downright dangerous brutes, and
therefore, in spite of other merits, we protest against prizes going to animals which
are blindfolded and require tbe precaution of two attendants."
On the foregoing a correspondent of the
New York Sun ventures the following
comment:
"Now, we own the Jerseys_ have a bad
name, but we honestly think it is more in
talk than reality. The writer has handled a goodly number of Jersey bulls and
others too. Ayrshires are just as likely to
be vicious, perhaps more so, and so are
Devons if indiscreetly handled. In fact,
it is indiscreet handling that spoils the
temper of bulls, as of almost all other animals. If every man who keeps an Alderney bull would break him to the yoke or
to harness at eighteen months old, he
would have a good-tempered, serviceable
beast, worth more for every purpose, and
capable of earning his board by effective
labor before the horse cart or stone boat
or snow plow every day in the year."
The Wilton, Iowa, Exponent has the
following information regarding the new
cattle plague, which has proved so fatal
to stock in the neighborhood of that
place: "The disease is as curious in its
workings as it is fatal in its result. The
first indication of an attack is a violent
twitching of the under jaw; then a frothing at the mouth, from which saliva flows
freely; the eyes become watery, and the
animal seems to suffer the most intense
pain, which increases from the moment it
is attacked until death ensues, which in
no case is longer than twenty-four hours.
They commence rubbing the head, mostly
on the left side, and continue the skin, and
sometimes one of the ears, is rubbed off;
the head swells up so as to close the eyes
in many cases. The animals stand erect,
and, straining every muscle to the utmost
extension, giving evidence of a powerful
, internal convulsion, they utter the most
I pitiful cry—you can hardly call it anything
else—and, throwing the head from side to
'side, fall over dead.
Keep the Hogs out ofthe Water.
A correspondent of the Colonial Farmer,
whom the editor declares to be a practical
breeder, writes that to handle hogs to the
best advantage, a pasture is needed of
green grass—clover, blue-grass and timothy—and it is best if there is no running
water or stock ponds in the lot. Hogs do
better where there are no branches or
stock ponds to wallow in. In place thereof, have well water pumped for them.—
Have troughs made, and nail strips across,
eight inches apart, to keep the hogs from
lying down in the water, and let these
troughs be placed on floors, to keep them
from digging up wallowing holes. If feed
be given, it should be soaked in swill barrels for twelve hours before feeding—no
longer—and fed to them as drink.
Tan-Bark for Stables.
Leached tan-bark makes a very clean
and cool bedding for horses, but it should
be dried before it is used. If used while
wet it ferments and heats, and will cause
the hair to fall from animals that are bedded with it. /it least such has been our
experience with it. Sawdust is the cleanest bedding for horses that we known of.
The October returns ofthe Department
of Agriculture show that the wheat c
is equal to or greater than last year in all
ofthe States except Maryland, Virginia,
Texas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota',
Iowa and Kansas. _»Tn Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina and Illinois it is
about equal to last year's crop. Other
States have increased their yield. The
New England States almost reached the
splendid crop ofthe census year, approximating to 1,000.000 bushels. Maine has
increased her yield thirty-three per cent.
The quality of the crops in these States is
considerably improved. The Middle
States have considerably enlarged and improved their yield, New York reportingan
increase of sixteen per cent. Of the South
Atlantic States, Maryland falls one per
cent, and Virginia six per cent, below last
year, but their deficiency is more than
made up by the other States, Georgia
showing an increase of twenty-one per
cent. The quality is also improved. Of
the Gulf States, Alabama reports an increase of twenty-three, and Mississippi
two per cent. Texas a decrease of seven
per cent.in quality, Alabama improves
twenty-nine per cent, and Mississippi declines nine per cent, and Texas six per
cent. All the four Southern inland States
show an improvement in the quality from
one per cent, in Arkansas to 17 per cent,
in Tennessee. In quantity Arkans presents an increase of 1 percent; Tennessee,
20 per cent.; West Virginia, 23 per cent.;
Kentucky declines 5 per cent. The crops
of these States are a third greater than
that of the census year. North of Ohio
and Illinois equals that of last year's crop,
while Wisconsin, on account of the grasshoppers, falls 35 per cent, short, which reduces the aggregate yield of this section
below last year. Ohio increases her yield
to 16 per cent.; Michigan, 23 per cent.;
Indiana, 9 per cent. All show an improved quality except Wisconsin, which
declines 23 per cent. The aggregate yield
ofthe States west ofthe Mississippi is also short of last year's. Missouri increases
29 per cent, and Nebraska 1 per cent., but
Minnesota declines 16 per cent.; Iowa, 2
percent, and Kansas 5 per cent. The
grasshoppers have been destructive to the
spring wheat in theseStates. Thequality
is below last year in all except Minnesota, which improves 27 percent. On the
Pacific coast the crop is greatly increased,
and is fully 50 per cent, above the census
year. California increased her yield 10
per cent, and Oregon 12 per cent. Oregon
equals the quality of. last year's crop.
California improves hers by 3 per cent.
The total yield will nearly, if not quite,
equal the census year.
■ » »
The Demand for Barley.—While
this is the great grain-producing country
ofthe world, the bulk of the barley which,
is used here is imported from other
countries, and the demand grows with
every year. From Canada alone during
the past four years we have drawn a yearly
average of nearly 4,500,000 bushels, while,
owing to a short crop there last year, large
imports were made from Europe. The
New York Bulletin gives figures to prove
that the cultivation of this cereal is much
more profitable than wheat-raising, and
thinks that the matter should commend
itself to the attention of farmers. The
market is enlarging yearly, the prospect
being that England alone will have an
annually increasing demand.
The "Harvest Queen" is the name given to a self-binding reaping machine invented by C. Chapman, which has attract-
croP ed considerable attention in OlmsteadCo.,
Minn., where the trial machine had cut
160 acres of grain this harvest, up to the
latest report. There are some peculiarities in the machine, especially the reel, I Total increase in Common Fund
but the principal point of interest is the I T°talincrease in Congressional Fund
binding attachment, which is thus de-! Total increase S73792 11
Increase from regular sources StM.939 9fi
ADDITIONS TO TUB FUNDS, 1S7I.
To the common School Fund:
Fines by Clerks of courts ?35 247 82
Fines by Justices of the Peace 28813 89
From other sources 3105 53
$07,197 21
6,599 87
"ThTgrain is slid by the rake from the | Jl'TfllZt t'hV'sS? TjVoZlTcl
T^jtZ1! ^^*. ■Ji!&„,»^ i »8K-_6 more in 1874 ZJ^im™"*
±ne following statement gives the a-
rear,and, as soon as it has reached this, the
rake lifts away from it, and a dividing
board raises and separates it from that
which continues to fall on. the apron, thus
preventing tangling, and the formation of
"slobbering,, bundles. As the sliding
board raises, a buncher traverses the platform, driving the grain before it, and
against the wire band at the opposite end,
where are also a couple of steel prongs
against which the grain is pressed. A
compressor now comes down upon the
bunch of grain, which is thus held tightly
until the wire band is drawn close about it,
twisted and_ cut off. The buncher then
retreats to its former position on the fftr
end ofthe platform, the compressor raises
up out of the way, and the steel prongs
turn a somersault, dropping the bundle,
and resuming a position of readiness for
the next.
The Rochester Record and Union says
the machinery is easily understood and
managed, and no more liable to get out of
order or break than that of any other
reaper. Three horses are used. It is expected to have a large number of the machines on the market for next year.
. ♦ «
Machine Wanted.—A correspondent
of the N. Y. lribunc says: Farmers
generally require a machine, I think, such
as I have never seen or heard of, but of
which I have especially felt the need, as it
will save labor and utilize forage. It is
this : Say a machine that will pulverize,
or crush, or grind, with once handling,
our corn crop ; that will reduce the entire
growth, cob, shuck and stalk, as fine as
ordiuary meal. After the corn is cut and
put in stooks (twelve hills square is the
habit generally prevailing in the west,)
then as soon as the stooks are dry enough,
feed them entire into the machine, which
might be similar to a grain thresher, and
propelled by steam or horse power. My
object is to place the corn-stalks as well
as the corn in condition for the cattle to
properly masticate, digest and assimilate.
■ m> ■
We read, says the New York Tribune, of
one Ohio farm whieh several years since
was wet, unproductive,_ and agueish.
Twenty bushels of inferior corn to the
acre, and from five to ten bushels of wheat,
was all that could be raised. Sheep would
die about as fast as they could be produced. Now it is underdrained with five
miles of tie and yields eighty bushels of
good, sound corn, and from twenty to forty
bushels of superior wheat. On grass lands
the difference in quantity is not great, but
the quality has been vastly improved.
Chills and_fever have disappeared, and
sheep raising is profitable. So satisfactory
have been the results of tile draining on
this estate that the owners intend to bury
at least ten miles more of "crockery."
Father-Yarnall, who is seventy years
old, hauled to Brookston and unloaded
100 bushels of oats on Friday last.
__-_—.
mounts of the fines and ferfeitures for each
of the past seven vears.
For 1868, $32,904.59; 1869, $35,755 57;
1870, 834,103.10; 1871. $28,99G.49; 1872,
$39,306.51; 1873, $43,171.61; 1874 $64,-
091.71.
In seven years these funds have increased 100 per cent., and 50 per cent, of that
increase was during the year ending June
1.1874. This clearly proves that the fines
of clerks of the Circuit Courts and the
justices ofthe peace have increased much
more this year than last, there being a
difference of $20,920.10.—Journal.
' ■ • m> m
Watch the Market.
If you, in your judgment, based upon
what appears to you to be safe authority,
think wheat or any other class of grain
will rule higher within a month than now,
no matter if every man in your neighborhood sells, hold on and get the highest
figures. On the other hand don't be obstinate and hold on when everything
shows you should sell. It is plainly a
matter of judgment backed by intelligence and experience. The same thing
is applicable in the selling of hogs and
fat cattle. We have seen the market
barren of stock, the demand urgent, and
prices high. All at once the movement
set in; the market was flooded, prices fell
off, and the seller lost as a matter of
course. Quick sales and the highest
prices are made on a light market supply
and good demand. The substance ofthe
whole matter is then, keep posted and
keep your eyes open. It is the duty of
every farmer to get the very best price
he can for everything he soils, and sell
everything he cannot use to advantage
on the farm. Sell everything that would
be wasted at home, for every dollar thus
made is truly a dollar savsd. Nothing is
too small or of too little value to market
which will bring money.—Rural American.
— » ♦. •
Thos. Meehan, who is good authority
on the subject of botany, says that farmers' sons, who are now receiving their
education and whose future is to be employed in the noblest of all occupations—
the tilling of the soil—should be pretty
thoroughly educated in botany. It is not
only one of the most pleasing and instructive of all the branches of education,
but it is one of the most useful, particularly toa farmer, who will find daily
and almost hourly need of it. He is constantly facing its representatives in some
form, to understand which is-frequently of
the utmost importance. Not a plant,
especially a weed, can be grown or obtrude
itself upon his premises but what will be,
familiar to him, as much so as the plants\
composing the leading cultivated crops.^5.;-^
He is thus brought face to face with wcli-'-^
knownacquaintances.be they friends or^**-
othcrwise, and will give them such a re-
1 ception as they may respectively deserve.
-£3
'^mm

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,r the farm or to sell, for the large horse
is as easily raised and will do mueh more
work in hauling heavier loads and ploughing deeper, and if you have a surplus
horse to sell there is a good demand for it
at a good price. Not so with small scrub
horses; There is no demand for them at
any price. Now, there must be improvements in breeding our horses as- in all
our other farm stock by the use of pure
blood.
The introduction into the west of the
Norman or the Percheron horses marks
an era of prosperity and is an improvement in the right direction. These valuable horses crossed with our best native
mares gives us fine heavy horses, valuable
for the farm and in great demand for draft
horses in the cities, always commanding a
high price, such a price as pays well for
raising them, while the great quantity of
small horses on the market are forced off
at prices that do not pay for raising them.
Western farmers raise good horses or
none at all.— Western Agriculturist.
"Cross Jersey Bulls.'
For the Indiana Farmer.
Preparations for Winter.
BY MR?. WARREN.
One feels in thejmoodfor self-gratula-
tion when everything is at last prepared
for cold weather, Vegetables, plants, etc.,
all in snug winter quarters—at least I do.
We have an excellent cellar, dry, light
and perfectly frost-Woof, and this fall in
my zeal to save all
I was just taking
article, when pater
my favorites, possible,
down the fifty-ninth
familias mildly inti
mated that I had at propriated at least the
lion's share ofthe cellar room. I looked
around, and could but admit that it was
even so. But what can be done?
Nothing this year), of course, and the
only remedy for andther seems to be, a pit.
Several of my acquaintances have them
and I think they (are admirable for all
plants that are not exceedingly tender,
but as usually made there is this objection, if there comesj several weeks in succession of extremely cold weather, as in
the winter of '72 a,nd '73, one cannot go
into it without endingering the contents.
I have been thinking I would like one
on tho south side lof the house, making
the cellar wall the north side of the pit,
and then have an entrance from the cellar,
and then it could be attended to, at any
time. Have any readers of the Farmer
ever tried this plan? If so, will they not
tell us of its disadvantages, if it has any?
The Farming That Pays.
upon
The Wheat Crop.
A writer in the Dutchess Farme
the above topic, remarks:
The profit in agriculture, like the profit in other business, depends on what they
call in Wall street a "margin," and a very
small one it 13 in farming, as in all safe
and well-established industries. When
we sold wool to the Bunnels. many years
ago, one of the firm told us that they had
been making cloth without profit, and
when they found a waste of about a cent
pound on their wool, and managed toavoid
that waste, their business again became
successful. A quarter of one per cent,
received by a broker, in a large financial
transaction, has made him a large fortune.
And though in the limited transactions, of
the manufacturer and farmer, so small a
per centage would not avail much, it is
certain that the fortune of the farmer, no
less than of the merchant and manufacturer, is made'up of the small net profits of
his business, accumulated by many years
of labor and carefulness. This net profit
is so small that it is liable to be impaired
by any trifling error in management, or
lack of force. Any serious defect in
management, or any great degree of slackness will spoil the profit altogether.
There are so many things to be well done
in order to succeed, that it is not strange
that so many fail. When every part of
farming is well done, there is no mistake
about the profit.
A New Binding; Reaper.
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
Partial Abstract of the Report of
the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1873-4.
From the advance sheets of the biennial
report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction we take the following historical
items, showing the progress and prosperity of free schools in this State are taken.
_ The school fund has become very much
simplified within the past fevf years, and
may be classed under two heads :
First—The Township school fund Sti,.113,447 57
Second—The Congressional Township ps-*»',li0 09
;,F.rank.Morris,.of.the.PraeiicaZ Farmer,
says: "While the Alderney or Jersey
calf, heifer, or grown-up cow is proverbially the quietest, most docile and gentle
of all the cow tribe, there are very many
cases where the Jersey bulls are exactly
the reverse. Can this be explained? It
may almost be said cross Jersey bulls are
the rule, and quiet ones the exception.—
We have known, ourselves, many cases of
this kind, and have been asked the reason
"why Jersey bulls are generally more unruly than bulls of other breeds?" Then
he quotes the English Agricaltural Gazette, in reference to this matter, as follows: "It is strange so many of the Jersey bulls should be such ungovernable
and downright dangerous brutes, and
therefore, in spite of other merits, we protest against prizes going to animals which
are blindfolded and require tbe precaution of two attendants."
On the foregoing a correspondent of the
New York Sun ventures the following
comment:
"Now, we own the Jerseys_ have a bad
name, but we honestly think it is more in
talk than reality. The writer has handled a goodly number of Jersey bulls and
others too. Ayrshires are just as likely to
be vicious, perhaps more so, and so are
Devons if indiscreetly handled. In fact,
it is indiscreet handling that spoils the
temper of bulls, as of almost all other animals. If every man who keeps an Alderney bull would break him to the yoke or
to harness at eighteen months old, he
would have a good-tempered, serviceable
beast, worth more for every purpose, and
capable of earning his board by effective
labor before the horse cart or stone boat
or snow plow every day in the year."
The Wilton, Iowa, Exponent has the
following information regarding the new
cattle plague, which has proved so fatal
to stock in the neighborhood of that
place: "The disease is as curious in its
workings as it is fatal in its result. The
first indication of an attack is a violent
twitching of the under jaw; then a frothing at the mouth, from which saliva flows
freely; the eyes become watery, and the
animal seems to suffer the most intense
pain, which increases from the moment it
is attacked until death ensues, which in
no case is longer than twenty-four hours.
They commence rubbing the head, mostly
on the left side, and continue the skin, and
sometimes one of the ears, is rubbed off;
the head swells up so as to close the eyes
in many cases. The animals stand erect,
and, straining every muscle to the utmost
extension, giving evidence of a powerful
, internal convulsion, they utter the most
I pitiful cry—you can hardly call it anything
else—and, throwing the head from side to
'side, fall over dead.
Keep the Hogs out ofthe Water.
A correspondent of the Colonial Farmer,
whom the editor declares to be a practical
breeder, writes that to handle hogs to the
best advantage, a pasture is needed of
green grass—clover, blue-grass and timothy—and it is best if there is no running
water or stock ponds in the lot. Hogs do
better where there are no branches or
stock ponds to wallow in. In place thereof, have well water pumped for them.—
Have troughs made, and nail strips across,
eight inches apart, to keep the hogs from
lying down in the water, and let these
troughs be placed on floors, to keep them
from digging up wallowing holes. If feed
be given, it should be soaked in swill barrels for twelve hours before feeding—no
longer—and fed to them as drink.
Tan-Bark for Stables.
Leached tan-bark makes a very clean
and cool bedding for horses, but it should
be dried before it is used. If used while
wet it ferments and heats, and will cause
the hair to fall from animals that are bedded with it. /it least such has been our
experience with it. Sawdust is the cleanest bedding for horses that we known of.
The October returns ofthe Department
of Agriculture show that the wheat c
is equal to or greater than last year in all
ofthe States except Maryland, Virginia,
Texas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota',
Iowa and Kansas. _»Tn Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina and Illinois it is
about equal to last year's crop. Other
States have increased their yield. The
New England States almost reached the
splendid crop ofthe census year, approximating to 1,000.000 bushels. Maine has
increased her yield thirty-three per cent.
The quality of the crops in these States is
considerably improved. The Middle
States have considerably enlarged and improved their yield, New York reportingan
increase of sixteen per cent. Of the South
Atlantic States, Maryland falls one per
cent, and Virginia six per cent, below last
year, but their deficiency is more than
made up by the other States, Georgia
showing an increase of twenty-one per
cent. The quality is also improved. Of
the Gulf States, Alabama reports an increase of twenty-three, and Mississippi
two per cent. Texas a decrease of seven
per cent.in quality, Alabama improves
twenty-nine per cent, and Mississippi declines nine per cent, and Texas six per
cent. All the four Southern inland States
show an improvement in the quality from
one per cent, in Arkansas to 17 per cent,
in Tennessee. In quantity Arkans presents an increase of 1 percent; Tennessee,
20 per cent.; West Virginia, 23 per cent.;
Kentucky declines 5 per cent. The crops
of these States are a third greater than
that of the census year. North of Ohio
and Illinois equals that of last year's crop,
while Wisconsin, on account of the grasshoppers, falls 35 per cent, short, which reduces the aggregate yield of this section
below last year. Ohio increases her yield
to 16 per cent.; Michigan, 23 per cent.;
Indiana, 9 per cent. All show an improved quality except Wisconsin, which
declines 23 per cent. The aggregate yield
ofthe States west ofthe Mississippi is also short of last year's. Missouri increases
29 per cent, and Nebraska 1 per cent., but
Minnesota declines 16 per cent.; Iowa, 2
percent, and Kansas 5 per cent. The
grasshoppers have been destructive to the
spring wheat in theseStates. Thequality
is below last year in all except Minnesota, which improves 27 percent. On the
Pacific coast the crop is greatly increased,
and is fully 50 per cent, above the census
year. California increased her yield 10
per cent, and Oregon 12 per cent. Oregon
equals the quality of. last year's crop.
California improves hers by 3 per cent.
The total yield will nearly, if not quite,
equal the census year.
■ » »
The Demand for Barley.—While
this is the great grain-producing country
ofthe world, the bulk of the barley which,
is used here is imported from other
countries, and the demand grows with
every year. From Canada alone during
the past four years we have drawn a yearly
average of nearly 4,500,000 bushels, while,
owing to a short crop there last year, large
imports were made from Europe. The
New York Bulletin gives figures to prove
that the cultivation of this cereal is much
more profitable than wheat-raising, and
thinks that the matter should commend
itself to the attention of farmers. The
market is enlarging yearly, the prospect
being that England alone will have an
annually increasing demand.
The "Harvest Queen" is the name given to a self-binding reaping machine invented by C. Chapman, which has attract-
croP ed considerable attention in OlmsteadCo.,
Minn., where the trial machine had cut
160 acres of grain this harvest, up to the
latest report. There are some peculiarities in the machine, especially the reel, I Total increase in Common Fund
but the principal point of interest is the I T°talincrease in Congressional Fund
binding attachment, which is thus de-! Total increase S73792 11
Increase from regular sources StM.939 9fi
ADDITIONS TO TUB FUNDS, 1S7I.
To the common School Fund:
Fines by Clerks of courts ?35 247 82
Fines by Justices of the Peace 28813 89
From other sources 3105 53
$07,197 21
6,599 87
"ThTgrain is slid by the rake from the | Jl'TfllZt t'hV'sS? TjVoZlTcl
T^jtZ1! ^^*. ■Ji!&„,»^ i »8K-_6 more in 1874 ZJ^im™"*
±ne following statement gives the a-
rear,and, as soon as it has reached this, the
rake lifts away from it, and a dividing
board raises and separates it from that
which continues to fall on. the apron, thus
preventing tangling, and the formation of
"slobbering,, bundles. As the sliding
board raises, a buncher traverses the platform, driving the grain before it, and
against the wire band at the opposite end,
where are also a couple of steel prongs
against which the grain is pressed. A
compressor now comes down upon the
bunch of grain, which is thus held tightly
until the wire band is drawn close about it,
twisted and_ cut off. The buncher then
retreats to its former position on the fftr
end ofthe platform, the compressor raises
up out of the way, and the steel prongs
turn a somersault, dropping the bundle,
and resuming a position of readiness for
the next.
The Rochester Record and Union says
the machinery is easily understood and
managed, and no more liable to get out of
order or break than that of any other
reaper. Three horses are used. It is expected to have a large number of the machines on the market for next year.
. ♦ «
Machine Wanted.—A correspondent
of the N. Y. lribunc says: Farmers
generally require a machine, I think, such
as I have never seen or heard of, but of
which I have especially felt the need, as it
will save labor and utilize forage. It is
this : Say a machine that will pulverize,
or crush, or grind, with once handling,
our corn crop ; that will reduce the entire
growth, cob, shuck and stalk, as fine as
ordiuary meal. After the corn is cut and
put in stooks (twelve hills square is the
habit generally prevailing in the west,)
then as soon as the stooks are dry enough,
feed them entire into the machine, which
might be similar to a grain thresher, and
propelled by steam or horse power. My
object is to place the corn-stalks as well
as the corn in condition for the cattle to
properly masticate, digest and assimilate.
■ m> ■
We read, says the New York Tribune, of
one Ohio farm whieh several years since
was wet, unproductive,_ and agueish.
Twenty bushels of inferior corn to the
acre, and from five to ten bushels of wheat,
was all that could be raised. Sheep would
die about as fast as they could be produced. Now it is underdrained with five
miles of tie and yields eighty bushels of
good, sound corn, and from twenty to forty
bushels of superior wheat. On grass lands
the difference in quantity is not great, but
the quality has been vastly improved.
Chills and_fever have disappeared, and
sheep raising is profitable. So satisfactory
have been the results of tile draining on
this estate that the owners intend to bury
at least ten miles more of "crockery."
Father-Yarnall, who is seventy years
old, hauled to Brookston and unloaded
100 bushels of oats on Friday last.
__-_—.
mounts of the fines and ferfeitures for each
of the past seven vears.
For 1868, $32,904.59; 1869, $35,755 57;
1870, 834,103.10; 1871. $28,99G.49; 1872,
$39,306.51; 1873, $43,171.61; 1874 $64,-
091.71.
In seven years these funds have increased 100 per cent., and 50 per cent, of that
increase was during the year ending June
1.1874. This clearly proves that the fines
of clerks of the Circuit Courts and the
justices ofthe peace have increased much
more this year than last, there being a
difference of $20,920.10.—Journal.
' ■ • m> m
Watch the Market.
If you, in your judgment, based upon
what appears to you to be safe authority,
think wheat or any other class of grain
will rule higher within a month than now,
no matter if every man in your neighborhood sells, hold on and get the highest
figures. On the other hand don't be obstinate and hold on when everything
shows you should sell. It is plainly a
matter of judgment backed by intelligence and experience. The same thing
is applicable in the selling of hogs and
fat cattle. We have seen the market
barren of stock, the demand urgent, and
prices high. All at once the movement
set in; the market was flooded, prices fell
off, and the seller lost as a matter of
course. Quick sales and the highest
prices are made on a light market supply
and good demand. The substance ofthe
whole matter is then, keep posted and
keep your eyes open. It is the duty of
every farmer to get the very best price
he can for everything he soils, and sell
everything he cannot use to advantage
on the farm. Sell everything that would
be wasted at home, for every dollar thus
made is truly a dollar savsd. Nothing is
too small or of too little value to market
which will bring money.—Rural American.
— » ♦. •
Thos. Meehan, who is good authority
on the subject of botany, says that farmers' sons, who are now receiving their
education and whose future is to be employed in the noblest of all occupations—
the tilling of the soil—should be pretty
thoroughly educated in botany. It is not
only one of the most pleasing and instructive of all the branches of education,
but it is one of the most useful, particularly toa farmer, who will find daily
and almost hourly need of it. He is constantly facing its representatives in some
form, to understand which is-frequently of
the utmost importance. Not a plant,
especially a weed, can be grown or obtrude
itself upon his premises but what will be,
familiar to him, as much so as the plants\
composing the leading cultivated crops.^5.;-^
He is thus brought face to face with wcli-'-^
knownacquaintances.be they friends or^**-
othcrwise, and will give them such a re-
1 ception as they may respectively deserve.
-£3
'^mm